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@uitrit tetes f @sind fitte.

GEORGE DRYDEN, 0F .WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMe SELF AND E.v A.PRESCOT'I, .OF SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patcnt`No. 6l,6l4datcd January 29, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT vIn Piston inerme.V

ToALL WHoM 1T MAY oononnn:v l

Be it known that I, GEORGE'DRYDEN, of Worcester', in the' county of Worcester, and State-of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Piston Packing; and I do hereby declare that thelfollowing is a full, clear, and e'xactdescr'iption thereoilreference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partv pf this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts Wheri ever they occur.

'To enable others skilled in the art to constructand use the invention, I Will'proceed tol describe iti The nature of my invention consists in tl1e construction of a packing ring for pistons'of 'steam engines by fitting it to receive at 'the joints peculiarly-formed tongues and anges for packing the joint steamtight; and also in a novel arrangement -for regulating the admission of the steam under the packing rings.

l v Figure 1 is avertical section, taken on the lineof :ma of fig. 3.

Figure 2 isa transverse section, taken on the line y y of iig 1.

"Figure 3 is an end View. l l

Figures4, 5, and l6 are representations of the packing rings detached, Withtthe parts shown in detail.

A representsthe hub or body ofA a piston head, it being cut away, as shown in tig. 1, to furnish a recess or seat for the packing rings C and D. represents 1a-dsk` or plate, securedV to the face of the piston by screws, o, as shown in g. 3, for the purpose of holding the Vrings in position. An annular recess, 7c, is formed in the face of the hub A, underneath the plate, into which recess steaml is yadmitted through a hole, z', formed lin the plate B, as shown in gs. l and 3, a 'sliding-plate, h, serving to regulate the size of the opening z', and consequently the admission of the steam, as shown clearlyin lig. 3. Fromthe annular spaces oriecesses k, holes forv the passage of the steam lead to the spaee'under the packingrings, as shown in fig. 1, thepassageof the steam being indicated b-y the -red arrows. The piston head being thus formed, iI 'then' construct my packing rings as follows: I first cast a ring of the proper size, as shown Cor-D, figs. 4 and 5, and after having'turned'it up in a latheto the proper diameter and-thickness, I then cut it into segments, as represented by Z, of' fig, 4, or b, of

iig. 5, thus forming a ring composed of three or more segments. To one 'end of thesepieces b, I then secure a thin piece, e, as shown in Figure 8, made `preferably of steel, so as to forma spring. This piece e must be of a 4Width exactly corresponding vwiththc thickness ofthe` segments 6, andV is so attached thereto that when the segments b areunited to form the ring' C, as shown in g.- 5, the piece e willrlap over or coverthe. joint of the segments on the inside ofthe ring, and thus prevent the escape of any steam radially. 'On the periphery of the ring C, .at theunion'ofvthe segments b, a straight cut is made, `extending from r to 1" of fig. 5, this'cut beingof such depth as to just reach to the inner surface of the ring-at the joint, as shown in lig, 5, and into this cut the tongue a is fitted, iig. 6 showing a face view of the ring with the tongue ahinse'rted, the tongue a being shown detached in fig; 8. When the segments b are thus unitedto form'the 'ring C, and 'placed in position in the piston head, it is obvious that the strips or pieces e will prevent the steam which'entersfrom the recess lc from escaping lradially through the joints, and that the tongues a will at the same time prevent any from passing through the joints laterally, while the ring, -being in sections, is perfectly free. to be pressed outward 'by the steam under it, and thus pack the piston steam-tigh-t. lIn `g. 4, the ring isishcwn formed similar to C inthe first instance, hut instead ot" the pieces e and the tongues a being made separate,- asv in the ring G, I use the joint-piece m. This piece m has a flange corresponding to Vthepiece e, equal in thickness tothe ringv D, to-pre vent the steam from escaping radially through thejoint's of the ring. It also has a tongue projecting radially,-

as shown in Figure 7, which is tted into arecess made for, it in the adjoining ends ofthe segments Z, as shown in iig. 4the segments being broken away to shw the tongue of m in position. This llast is but a modification of the former manner of constructing the ring, the only diiference being that .inthis case the ilangeA and tongue are both made in one piece, While in the other they are made separately, and are slightly different in form, the object and operation beingrthe same in both cases. Instead ofradmitting the steam' throughv the opening into the recess Ak, and 'from thence under the ring, to :press it out,.i t may, if preferred, be admitted through the holes t, madel in the ring itself, just outside of the edge 'of' vp'l'ate B,"and passingfdiagonally to -the space under the rings,las shown in iig. 1', openings tbeing shown covered'by the plates' B in this drawing'. AAs the cylinder* and piston are liable to become worn on the lower side, Where they are constantly in Contact, I insert the shoe d into a recess formed for it in the periphery of the piston head A, and adjust .it by means of the set-screws n, as showniin lig. 2. By adjusting the screws, as the parts become Worn, I ani enabled to keep the piston head concentric with the bore of the cylinder, and th-ils'prevent strain on the piston-rod. By means of the slide z the' amount of steam admitted under the rings can be regulated so as to give just the pressurerequired, and at the same time prevent it from pressing out' therings soias to cut or improperly Wear the cylinder--a very important feature Where metal packing alone is used. By these means I am enabled to construct/a packing ring that will operate in a perfect manner as a packing, and one that can he very accurately and readily tted, and in )vhich the tting and finishing of the joints and partscan be all done by machinery of the simplest kind.y

Having thus described'my invention, what I claim, is-.

1. A packngring, consisting of-.the segments with the springs e and tongues a, constructed and arranged to operate as shown and described. I I i 2. In combinationwith the rings constructed 4as set forth, I claim the annular recess 7s, and the slide h,

arranged to operate as described. VGrEORGrE DRYDEN.

' In presence of- HENRY BAcoN, C. G. KEYES. 

